LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao ditched what was supposed to be a rare rest day and decided to hit the gym for one final time before his super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday here.
Pacquiao was loose and was a picture of a very confident man as he did nearly four rounds of mitts with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach Thursday afternoon at the Top Rank gym.
Manny Pacquiao trains at the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas, Nevada two days before his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. PHOTO BY REM ZAMORA/INQUIRER/ See more at FRAME
“We were not supposed to workout today but it was just supposed to be an off day actually but he wanted to come to the gym and workout and I said ‘no problem, let’s go,'” Roach told Filipino reporters shortly after the Filipino boxing champion had left the gym.
“I wouldn’t say no to a fighter in that moment and you know what we had a great moment, I mean he’s really in a good mood right now, I think he’s right where we want him to be and he is very motivated,” Roach said. “The best [training camp] we’ve had by far.”
The WBO welterweight champion showed off his lethal combination of speed and power as he pounded Roach’s protective body armor. While shadowboxing, Pacquiao reenacted his famous Footlocker commercial cracking up the room.
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Pacquiao even fooled around with Roach, whom he hit hard on the chest with a left hand to end their gym work.
“I quit,” Roach said as he turned his back and sped to the corner.
Roach said he’s been feeling Pacquiao’s immense power during training.
“He’s extremely motivated for this fight. It’s the biggest fight in the world. I asked him ‘are you gonna hit your opponent as hard as you hit me in the ring?’ and he said ‘yes’ and that made me really happy because he hits hard and if he hits Floyd that hard he will knock him out I feel.”
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According to Roach, part of the fight plan versus the pound-for-pound king, aside from cutting the ring, is to break him down first by attacking his body before going for his head.
READ: ‘KO will be bonus,’ says Roach
“Early we’re gonna go to the body and late in the head and hopefully we’re gonna break the body down and take his legs away from him. Not a hard thing to do at this point. Manny’s quite ready for that,” he said.
“I like everything about this game plan, I like where he’s at and I’ve never seen him better going into a fight.”
Roach is confident his most decorated student will emerge victorious. In fact, he is putting his money where his mouth is by betting $2,000 on a Pacquiao win.
“Manny will win this fight by decision or knockout whatever comes first. Of course, I’ve already bet on it, $2,000.” CC